Mannequin with simulated eyelashes formed from imporous braid



y 15, 1969 M. D. PEMBOR 3,455,053

MANNEQUIN WITH SIMULATED EYELASHES FORMED FROM IMPOROUS BRAID Filed Sept. 20, 1965 Elite httes ent 3,455,053 MANNEQUIN WITH SIMULATED EYELASHES FORMED FROM IMPOROUS BRAID Mary D. Pembor, 930 Cuyler Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60613 Filed Sept. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 488,421 Int. Cl. A63h 3/38; A41g /02 U.S. Cl. 46-165 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE ing. The stitched marginal edge of the eyelash is cemented to a simulated eyelid on the mannequin.

The present invention relates to mannequin which are commonly used by merchants in the display of clothing. The invention stems from a recognition that conventional mannequins produced and used commercially heretofore on a wide scale have shortcomings which as a practical matter often detract from the appearance of the mannequins and limit the useful life which can be expected from individual mannequins without restoration.

More particularly, the simulated eyelashes affixed to the simulated eyelids of conventional mannequins are prone to come off wholly or in part in the course of normal usage of the mannequin. The dressing and undressing of a conventional mannequin tends to cause shedding of the simulated eyelashes, particularly when the dressing and undressing requires movement of garments over the head of the mannequin.

characteristically, commonly used conventional manne quins require restoration of the simulated eyelashes after rather limited periods of use. Moreover, it is not uncommon, as a practical matter, for the simultated eyelashes of even well maintained mannequins in use to be ragged and incomplete because of the shedding of the simulated eyelashes incident to normal usage of mannequins by merchants.

One object of the invention is to provide for use by merchants in particular an improved mannequin of the character referred to having simulated eyelashes constructed in an improved manner which avoids shortcomings of the character recited associated with conventional mannequins, while at the same time avoiding any significant increase in the cost of the improved mannequin in relation to the cost of conventional mannequins produced and used for the same service.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mannequin of the character recited having improved simulated eyelashes constructed and attached to the mannequin in a manner which makes the mannequin more attractive, and effectively assures that the eyelashes will Patented July 15, 1969 not become detached from the mannequin in the course of normal use of the mannequin, to the end that the improved mannequin has an extended service life during which the simulated eyelashes remain complete and fully attached to the simulated eyelids to maintain the initial good appearance of the mannequin.

A further object is to provide for mannequins exceptionally attractive simulated eyelashes fashioned from a low cost braid of an imporous filament and constructed in a manner which assures secure attachment of the simulated eyelash to a simulated eyelid by glue or cement, all at no more than a nominal increase in cost as compared with simulated eyelashes for mannequins formed in a conventional way from braid.

Another object is to improve the appearance of mannequins and effectively solve the problem of the shedding of eyelashes from mannequins by means of a new and improved and highly practical method of producing simulated eyelashes for mannequins.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the head and shoulders of an improved mannequin constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing the left simulated eye of the mannequin of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view on an enlarged scale showing the right simulated eye of the mannequin of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view on a further enlarged scale taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2 and showing a cross-section of the eye of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a detail view on a further enlarged scale taken generally with reference to the curved line 5-5 of FIG. 3 and showing the underside of the right simulated eyelash;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an enlarged scale in relation to FIG. 1 showing a segment of stock braid from which the simulated eyelashes are produced;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of braid and instruments being employed in the production of the simulated eyelashes;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a simulated eyelash produced from the braid and ready for application to the simulated eyelid of a mannequin; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a simulated eyelash similar to that of FIG. 8, but which has been further I improved in appearance by an additional productive step in readiness for application to a simulated eyelash.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the mannequin 10 constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises sculptrode facial structure 12 simulating the facial appearance of a human being. Two simulated eyes 14 are formed on the facial structure 12, which includes as a part of each simulated eye structure 14 a rounded element 16, FIG. 4, simulating a human eyeball, and a forwardly projecting arcuate ledge 13 overlying the rounded element or simulated eyeball 16 and simulating an eyelid.

A simulated eyelash 20 is attached to the underside of the forwardly projecting ledge or simulated eyelid 18 by cementing the simulated eyelash to the ledge, as will be presently explained.

As the two simulated eyelashes 20 of the two simulated eyes 14 are shaped generally as mirror images of each other, a description of one in detail will suflice for both.

To be of practical utility in the construction of mannequins of the type widely used by merchants in the display of clothing, the simulated eyelashes 20 must be low in cost. If the manufacturing or installation cost of the simulated eyelashes 20 were high, use of the eyelashes in the production of mannequins commonly used by merchants in the display of clothing would not be economically feasible.

The simulated eyelashes 20 are formed from a filament of an imporous plastics material, preferably nylon. As will be described, the simulated eyelashes 20 are fashioned from a braid of imporous plastics filament in a manner which enhances the appearance of the simulated eyelashes, and the eyelashes are constructed in a manner that effectively assures that each simulated eyelash will be securely held to a simulated eyelid on the mannequin by gluing the simulated eyelash to the simulated eyelid in a conventional gluing operation, even though the plastics, preferably nylon, filament is imporous and forms a weak bond with the glue used to secure the simulated eyelash to the simulated eyelid.

Having reference to the drawings, simulated eyelashes 20 are produced from straight and relatively narrow stock of nylon braid 22, a short length of which is illustrated in FIG. 6. In fact, the nylon braid stock 22 from which the eyelashes 20 are fashioned is commercially produced in quantity for use in the construction of garments, particularly dresses. Such stock nylon braid is readily available at a favorable price, and has long been used in a conventional manner as the stock material from which conventional simulated eyelashes for mannequins have been produced and applied in a conventional manner to mannequms.

As a first step in the production of the simulated eyelashes 20 for mannequins, the length of stock nylon braid 22 is contracted lengthwise along one marginal edge 24 and is stitched along the contracted marginal edge 24 by stitch means 26, which is carried out with porous cotton thread in longitudinal lines of sitching 26 which tightly bind all of the individual strands 28 of the braid to the stitching.

Having reference to FIG. 6, it will be noted that the structural character of the braid stock 22 is such that the braid is formed in a conventional manner by monofilament strands 28 braided together in such manner that all of the strands extend obliquely but transversely across the braid between the previously mentioned marginal edge 24 and the opposite marginal edge 30. It will be appreciated that each individual strand 28, which extends obliquely across the braid stock 22, does not terminate structurally at either edge 24, 30 of the braid stock but forms a part of a continuous filament that is bent or turned at the edge of the braid stock, as denoted by the reference number 29, to extend back across the braid stock as a continuing strand 28. Thus, as viewed from the perspective of the edge 24, for example, of braid stock 22, the strands 28 extend from the edge in pairs of diverging strand portions the two diverging strand portions 28 of each pair being integrally joined by a bend 29 in the single filament forming both strand portions. Consequently, the monofilament strands 28 have portions which extend to the contracted marginal edge 24 within which the strands are tightly bound mechanically by the stitching 26 of porous cotton thread. In the preferred construction illustrated, two closely spaced parallel lines of stitching 26 are used, both being located closely adjacent the adjacent extreme edge of the length of braid.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the typical length of braid stock 22 is supplied commercially with a draw thread 32 intervening between strands 28 of the braid and running lengthwise along one marginal edge of the braid. As illustrated in FIG. 7, this draw thread 32 can be used to advantage simply by pulling on the draw thread manually, by fingers g 34 or by a suitable instrument, to etfect the desired lengthwise contraction of the corresponding marginal edge 24 of the braid.

This lengthwise contraction of the marginal edge of the braid previously referred to increases the number of transverse strands 28 extending from the marginal edge 24 per unit of linear length of the marginal edge and at the same time reshapes the initially straight length of braid to have a decided curvature, as indicated in FIG. 7. With the marginal edge 24 contracted in length and the segment of braid curved in shape as a consequence of contraction in length of one marginal edge, the two parallel lines of stitching 26 are applied by running the longitudinally contracted marginal edge of the braid through a conventional sewing machine, (not shown). As shown best in FIG. 8, the two lines of stitching are located just inwardly of the bends 29 which connect together the respective pairs of strands 28. Consequently, each portion of each individual strand 28 serves as an anchor for the other portion of the same strand with the result that no individual strand can be pulled from the stitching 26 in which the strands are firmly bound except as one strand portion may be pulled hard enough and far enough to pull the other portion of the same strand through the stitching. Loss of a strand in this manner is most unlikely not only because of the l-entgh of pull required to remove a strand, but on account of the anchoring resistance of the grip of the stitching on both strand portions simultaneously supplemented by the anchoring resistance of the force required to turn the incoming strand portion through the bend 29.

To conserve material, the opposite side of the braid can also be used, as will presently appear, even though it has no drawstring 32. If the side of the braid opposite from the draw thread 32 is to be used, lines of stitching similar to the stitching lines 26 but not shown are applied to the opposite marginal edge 30 of the braid by a sewing machine equipped with a readily available conventional attachment which will contract the length of the marginal edge 30 simultaneously with and as an incident to application of the stitching, in which instance the marginal edge 30 would become shaped and stitched in the same manner as the marginal edge 24, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

After the marginal edge 24 of the braid length 22 has been contracted lengthwise and stitched, as illustrated in FIG. 7, crescent shaped sectors of braid are cut from the stitched braid by scissors 36 to become the simulated eyelashes 20. To avoid confusion, the sectors of the braid which become the simulated eyelashes 20 upon being cut out of the braid stock are also denoted by the numbers 20 in FIG. 7. The severance line along which each braid sector or simulated eyelid 20 is cut away from the adjacent braid stock is indicated by phantom line 38 in FIG. 7.

Each of the simulated eyelashes 20 cut from the sewn braided stock is bounded along one marginal edge by a corresponding segment of stitched marginal edge 24 and has a crescent shape produced by the curvature induced by shortening of the stitched marginal edge 24, and by the curved shaping of th severance line 38 along which the braid is cut, as indicated in FIG. 7, to form the opposite edge 40 of the simulated eyelash spaced from the stitched marginal edge 24 and extending between opposite ends of the eyelash, as indicated in FIG. 8. The individual strands 28 of each simulated eyelash 20 are bound mechanically to the porous stitching 26 along the marginal edge 24. However, the individual strands 28 are free at the opposite edge 40 of the simulated eyelash.

As shown in FIG. 8 and also in FIG. 5, each simulated eyelash 20 is shaped so that its transverse width is wider and the individual strands 28 longer at the inboard or nose end of the eyelash than at the opposite or outboard end of the eyelash.

A simulated eyelash 20 thus formed is cemented to a simulated eyelid 18 of the mannequin by glue 42, FIG. 4, of the same type used to aflix conventional simulated eyelashes to mannequin eyelids.

As shown in FIG. 4 and indicated in FIG. 5, the glue 42 is applied to the stitched marginal edge 24 of the simulated eyelash 20 to permeate the porous cotton stitching 26 and extend along the full length of the stitched marginal edge 24 of the simulated eyelash which becomes the support edge of the eyelash.

The stitched support edge 24 of the simulated eyelash 20 is placed against the underside of the ledge or simulated eyelid 18, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the glue 42 which permeates the porous stitching 26 adheres to the underside of the arcuate ledge 18.

The glue 42 adheres strongly to the ledge 18 and permeates the porous stitching 26 to form a strong and reliable bond between the structural ledge 18 and the stitching 26 which firmly grips mechanically the individual strands 28 of the simulated eyelash, to the end that each of the strands strongly and reliably is held to the ledge 18 so that it is not pulled off the facial structure 12 in the course of normal usage of the mannequin.

As a consequence, the individual strands 28 of the eyelashes 20 do not shed and the simulated eyelashes retain in the course of usage their initially good appearance, which good appearance is enhanced by the longitudinal shortening of the stitched marginal edge 24 of the eyelash, which shortening increases the number of strands 28 in the simulated eyelash. Eifectively permanent and reliable attachment of each eyelash strand 28 to the facial structure 12 of the mannequin is achieved, even though the imporous character of the monofilament nylon strand 28 is such that the glue 42 used to cement the eyelashes to the facial structure does not itself form a good bond with the nylon strands.

The strong and reliable attachment of the simulated eyelash strands 28 to the facial structure 12 which is achieved in the manner described permits a separation of the initially braided strands 28 of an eyelash from each other, so that the strands are no longer braided but are parallel to each other. Such a modification of the eyelash, made possible by the secure attachment of the nylon strands to the facial structure, is illustrated by the modified eyelash 20a shown in FIG. 9, wherein component elements which are counterparts of the simulated eyelash previously described are identified by the same reference number with the addition of the suffix a. The modified simulatd eyelash 20a shown in FIG. 9 differs from the previously described eyelash 20 as shown in FIG. 8 specifically by the added production step of separating or unbraiding the individual strands 28 so that they cantilever in parallel relation to each other from the stitched support edge 24a of the eyelash.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A mannequin comprising facial structure which includes a rounded element shaped to simulate an eyeball and a curved element disposed immediately above said rounded element in integral relation thereto and shaped to simulate an eyelid, said curved element including an arcuate ledge projecting forwardly in overlying relation to said rounded element to simulate the edge of an eyelid, a simulated eyelash formed by a crescent shaped sector of braid having an inner marginal support edge extending along the full length of the simulated eyelash and being constituted by an original marginal edge of braid stock, said braid sector being formed of a plurality of monofilament imporous strands of plastics material braided togther within said brade sector marginal edge, each said strand having two end portions extending in one lateral direction from said braid sector marginal edge in a braided relation to each other, stitch means including a plurality of lines of machine stitching running the full length of said braid sector marginal support edge in parallel relation thereto, said stitching extending through said marginal support 10 and extending along the length of the simulated eyelash,

said strands extending from said support edge in generally transverse directions across said simulated eyelash to said free edge, said strands being individually free at the free edge of said simulated eyelash, said marginal support edge of the simulated eyelash extending along the underside of said ledge in overlapping relation thereto, and cement adhering to said ledge and permeating said stitching along said marginal support ego of the simulated eyelash to form between the stitching and the ledge a bond securely holding said stitching of porous thread to said ledge and thereby holding securely to said ledge said strands anchored to said stitching.

2. A mannequin comprising facial structure which includes a simulated eyeball and a simulated eyelid located adjacent said simulated eyeball, a simulated eyelash formed by an elongated sector of braid strands of an imporous filament of a plastics material, said simulated eyelash having an inner marginal support edge extending along the full length of the simulated eyelash and being constituted by an original marginal edge of braid stock,

said braid sector being formed of a plurality of monofilament imporous strands of plastics material braided together within said braid sector marginal edge, each said strand having two end portions extending in one lateral direction from said braid sector marginal edge in a braided relation to each other, stitch means including machine stitching running the full length of said braid sector marginal support edge in parallel relation thereto, said stitching extending through said marginal support edge of said braid sector in mechanically binding relation to said strands, the two end portions of each strand integrally merging with each other in a common bend located at the side of said stitching opposite from said one lateral direction so that the two end portions of each strand mutually anchor each other in said stitching, said stitching being formed of porous thread, said simulated eyelash having a free edge spaced from said stitched marginal support edge and extending along the length of the simulated eyelash, said strands extending from said stitched marginal support edge thereof across said simulated eyelash to said free edge thereof, said strands having unbound free ends at said free edge of said simulated eyelash, said stitched marginal support edge of the simulated eyelash extending along said simulated eyelid in overlapping relation thereto,

and cement adhering to said simulated eyelid and permeating said stitching of porous thread along said marginal support edge of the simulated eyelash to form between the porous thread and the simulated eyelid a bond securely holding said porous thread to said simulated eyelid along the length of said simulated eyelash and thereby holding securely to said simulated eyelid said strands anchored to said stitching.

3. A simulated eyelash for mannequins, comprising an oblong sector of braid having a marginal support edge extending along the full length thereof and being constituted by an original marginal edge of braid stock, said braid sector being formed of a plurality of monofilament imporous strands of plastics material braided together within said braid sector marginal edge and extending in one lateral direction therefrom in a braided relation to each other, stitch means including machine stitching of porous thread extending along the full length of said marginal support edge of said braid sector in parallel relation thereto and penetrating said braid sector marginal 7 support edge along the full length thereof in mechanically binding relation to said strands, the end portions of each strand integrally merging with each other in a common bend disposed at the extreme edge of said braid sector located at the side of said stitching opposite from said one lateral direction so that the end portions of each strand mutually anchor each other in said stitching, said braid sector having a free edge spaced from said stitched marginal support edge thereof and extending along the full length of the braid sector, said strands extending laterally across said braid sector from said stitched marginal support edge thereof to said free edge thereof, and said strands being individually free at said free edge of said braid sector.

8 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,741,415 12/1929 Harris 46-465 1,967,692 7/ 1934 Walker 46-165 2,079,256 5/1937 Kaiser 13253 2,862,509 12/1958 Porte 132-53 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,701 3/ 1914 Great Britain.

F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

